Analysis
Audiobooks are outselling paperbacks at two publishers
For the first time, listeners beat readers in sales for two mid-size houses. Authors are learning to write for the ear.
Culture editor
6 min read
Commutes and long drives drive most audiobook sales.
The paperback has been the backbone of publishing for seventy years. At two mid-size publishers, audiobooks have now overtaken it in revenue.
The change is fastest in crime and history, where listeners finish what they start.
Who is listening
Listeners skew younger than paperback readers and buy more books per year. Most listen while doing something else: driving, cooking, walking the dog.
I read my chapters out loud now before I send them. If they do not work spoken, they are not finished.
Narration is expensive and recording slots are booked months ahead. Some publishers are signing narrators on long contracts.
What bookshops do
Several independent shops now sell audiobook codes at the till, with a share of the price. It is small money, and a reason to keep coming in.
Topics
Sofia Brandt
Culture editor
Sofia edits the culture pages and writes about music, work and the crafts we are losing.
